Defense Budget Alert

The more than $25 billion in spending the Army is set to propose canceling, reducing or consolidating across the Pentagon's new five-year spending plan will be "backloaded," the service's secretary said today.

The Pentagon is preparing to delay the Feb. 4 rollout of its fiscal year 2020 budget request because of the ongoing partial government shutdown, now in its 25th day, according to government officials with knowledge of the matter.

Rep. Mac Thornberry (TX), the top-ranking Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, said today he opposes any plan that would use Defense Department funds to construct a wall on the southern border, per an option that has been floated by President Trump.

Just a week ago the Pentagon was scheduled to receive a $50 billion Christmas present from President Trump, but the future of the defense budget has been called into question as he has ordered a speedier-than-expected exit for Defense Secretary Jim Mattis and a surprise promotion for Deputy Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan.

The Congressional Budget Office has produced a range of cost-cutting scenarios that could be explored to trim the federal deficit over the next decade, including possible reductions to the nuclear triad and potential cancellation of the program intended to replace the intercontinental ballistic missile.

If the Trump administration submits a $750 billion defense budget, as multiple sources have indicated, the proposed topline could blow past Congress' statutory budget cap by more than $100 billion.

A potential $33 billion cut to the Defense Department's topline budget in fiscal year 2020 would have "a profound impact" on the size of the Navy's fleet, said the service's second most senior civilian, who also raised questions about the Navy's latest aircraft carrier program.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis accompanied Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-OK) and House counterpart Rep. Mac Thornberry (R-TX) to the White House today to convince President Trump the new defense budget must be at least $733 billion, rather than the $700 billion being floated by the Office of Management and Budget, according to officials with knowledge of the meeting.

SIMI VALLEY, CA -- Defense Secretary Jim Mattis today denounced a potential cut to the Pentagon’s future funding, saying the Defense Department needs Congress’ full financial support to meet the National Defense Strategy’s goals.